Design Issues and Solutions light stands

so i was going to put some lights in the lobby with gobos them, i think this would look nice for the people coming to see the play. i started to price out the boom stands (not sure if thats the right name) for the lights and what i found were a couple of hundred dollars. i was thinking that i could build one out of 2X4's for a lot cheaper considering i have the wood all ready. so what im asking is has any built there own stands before and did it work well.

I hevent built boom bases before and im not sure on the safety of doing that, it is a lot of weight on the. But if you simply wont to through some patterns and color around could floor bases work for you? If you dont have any they are much easier and cheaper to make, also safer.

if its not broken, take it apart find out why it isnt broken and put it back together

I personally think that any stands in the lobby would be hazardous because

1.) They could be knocked over
2.) Easily accessible electrical connections could be dangerous
3.) The intense heat from gobo projecting lights could be within reach of audience members
4.) Floor bases are a definite no for the above reasons, not to mention trip hazards.

Any advise on building stands out of 2x4's is strictly against TOS. Not to mention, 2x4 light stands would be extremely unsafe in my opinion. I would scratch the idea personally. Besides, the lobby should remain a neutral area. Do your magic onstage.

The American DJ stuff, while universally cheap C _ _ P, is also designed for, maybe 4 PAR56's or something similarly light (8-9 lbs ea. ?.) with an ellipsoidal running 16 lbs or so, I would say that the DJ stand might be overloaded.

The way the pro's do it, or at least some of us round these parts, is a 50 lbs base designed for 1-1/2" OD threaded pipe, not exceeding 12ft in height (or so), with a liberal amount of 25lb sand bags (5 or 6) added to the base, all to support maybe 4 -6 ellipoidals.

If over 8ft, with the public at large and mingling, I'd tie off the top of the pipe to something nearby as extra safety, preferably with wire rope to something directly overhead.

Altman used to make a 50# round base. They get used a lot in event lighting (weddings, corporate stuff, etc.) and as many years as I've been doing that I've never seen one get knocked over. The key is to put them where they'll be safe, to safety the top somehow, etc. I can rent an Altman for about $10 for a day. You'll likely never see these come up used since they never wear out.

SSRC makes one now since Altman doesn't make them any longer. They're about $275. Good build quality. Although they're square and a little harder to position in use, they do have a nice handle and feet, as opposed to the flat bottom of the Altman.

As for the boom, Home Depot sells Schedule #40 at about $32 per 10 foot section. A plumbing supply house will likely have longer lengths, and likely cheaper, but you'll need to buy some quantity. You'll want 1.5" ID, which is roughly 2" outside diameter.

I wouldn't use a tripod, simply because the trip hazard is IMO GREATER than with a flatbase. And if PSSL is your actual source, there are tons of places that will sell you better for cheaper. Like Bill at ESC.

As for the electrical hazard, you're in the lobby of a theater, not the Stones at Altamont. Just keep it neat, flush, and secure and you'll be fine.

The LTS-06 is a very cheaply made stand and will not support much weight. There is however, a 10' tripod stand made with 1.5" aluminum tubing that is rated for 100# and can be had for under $ 50.00. It comes with a 4' T bar as well.